Remembering 9/7/11 – Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Tribute

It was four years ago today that one of the most devastating hockey tragedies of all-time occurred. At approximately 4:05pm Moscow Time on September 7th 2011, Yak-Service Flight 9633 carrying both players and coaching staff of KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ran off the runway before lifting off, struck a tower mast, caught fire and crashed a little over a mile from the airport.

Forty-three of the forty-five on board died at the crash site while two were rescued from the wreck. However, Alexander Galimov, died five days later in the hospital thus leaving only Alexander Sizov, the avionics flight engineer, as the sole survivor.

It will always be a truly dark day in hockey history for not only losing so many great hockey players but an entire team to such a disaster right as the KHL season was getting started.

Here is a great documentary on the incident and hockey in Lokomotiv:

A ceremony was held for the team in Minsk, Belarus as well:

Listed below is the full roster of players lost in the crash along with staff members:

I grew up playing Ball and Roller Hockey day and night somewhat religiously throughout elementary and middle school. The two don't compare though when I lace up the skates and hit the ice. I live and breathe hockey beyond the perspective of "it's just a game" and I will gladly talk hockey for hours with anyone. Hockey is more than just a lifestyle, it's a culture of passionate people who make memories every time the puck is dropped. Hockey has not only helped me get through some of the hardest times in life but has created some of the best memories to date. Want to talk hockey with me? Shoot me an email: iburdetskiy@hookedonhockey.com and let's talk some hockey!